Former Flint resident Gordon Young finds there is collegiate life in his home city

FLINT, Michigan -- Evolving into a college town is the key to Flint's future - at least that's what we hear over and over again from the city's biggest boosters.

And some people are a harder sell than others - including Flint native Gordon Young, who authors the Flint Expatriates blog from his new home in San Francisco.

He starts one of his latest blog entries with this:

Let's be honest, the recent attempts to re-brand Flint as a college town seem a little far-fetched. It sounds a bit like an intellectualized AutoWorld scheme.

But Young goes on to tell people that on a visit to Flint, he discovered hopeful signs that his home city may actually be on to something with this whole college town idea.

He described changes he found on the University of Michigan-Flint campus and even running into some fraternity brothers in the city.

He wrote:

... during a stroll down Garland Street one day I happened upon an actual fraternity house. Theta Chi. I was stunned. I know, I know...GMI/Kettering has had frats forever, but this was right near downtown and it looked a little like Animal House, not like those low-slung ranch-style numbers near Ballenger Park and Mott Golf Course.

I was fumbling for my camera when an actual fraternity dude stumbled onto the front porch, announcing that he'd been up for 24 hours straight watching episodes of Lost.